Texas Gavel Awards

Use our online
form to submit an entry for the 2019 Texas Gavel Awards. The
deadline to submit entries is 5 p.m. March 29, 2019.

Purpose

Texas Gavel Awards recognize excellence in journalism that:

Fosters public understanding of the legal system

Educates the public about the rule of law, the legal profession,
and the judicial branch of government

Discloses practices or procedures needing correction to improve
the justice system

Eligibility

The Texas Gavel Awards program is open to journalists whose work
appears in Texas newspapers, magazines, and TV and radio broadcasts.
Online-only news outlets that publish at least weekly and that adhere to
the highest journalistic principles are also eligible.

Individuals whose primary occupation is the practice of law or
delivery of legal services are not eligible.

Materials prepared by State Bar of Texas staff, sections, or
committees are not eligible.

The competition is not open to law school publications or those whose
primary purpose is legal analysis.

Major Metro – Stations in the Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort
Worth and San Antonio markets

Non-Metro – Stations in all other Texas markets

Online:

Online-only news outlets

Submission Guidelines

Media organizations may submit up to two entries per category. A
series of up to five related stories may be submitted as a single entry.

Entries must have been published or broadcast in 2018.

Non-English entries are welcome but must include an English
translation or transcript.

An entry form and supporting materials must be provided for each
entry.

Make sure to fully fill out an entry form for each submission,
including:

A summary of the entry that addresses how it fulfills the
purpose of the Texas Gavel Awards. The summary should be suitable for
use in the Texas Gavel Awards program and promotional
materials.

A bio (100 words or less) and a headshot (jpeg format) for each
reporter who is part of the submission. The bio and headshot should be
suitable for use in the Texas Gavel Awards program and promotional
materials.

Entry materials include:

Print: Stories should be submitted in PDF file format. If a
submission is composed of multiple stories, please try to combine them
in one PDF. However, the entry form provides the ability to upload four
documents per entry.

Broadcast: Provide an active URL to the broadcast material. Long
lead-ins, breaks, and commercials should be deleted.

Online-only: Provide an active URL to the story or
material.

Entries that fail to comply with the eligibility requirements or
submission guidelines will not be considered.

Judging

An independent panel that includes out-of-state journalists, editors,
professors, and attorneys with journalism backgrounds will judge the
entries. Judges grade the extent to which each entry addresses the
purpose of the Gavel Awards. Reportorial skill, creativity, and impact
are also considered. The judging panel may or may not elect to present
awards in each category. The number of awards is up to the judges'
discretion.

The State Bar of Texas presents the information on this web site as a service to our members and other Internet users. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at other sites to which we link. Contact